Mugabe US sanctions buster loses appeal

A Chicago man who was sentenced to 15 months jail for lobbying for the lifting of United States sanctions against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and then Central Bank governor Gideon Gono lost his appeal last week after the court found no error in the way a jury found him guilty.

C. Gregory Turner entered into an agreement with the Zimbabwean government in 2008 to lobby for the lifting of sanctions against Mugabe and Gono for a fee of $3.4 million.

Turner and his colleague Prince Asiel Ben Israel only received the initial payment of $90 000 before the deal was scuttled.

Ben Israel pleaded guilty while Turner argued that he wanted to help Mugabe on humanitarian grounds.

"It was never my intention to circumvent the US government," he told US District Judge Elaine Bucklo, according to The Chicago Tribune. "I'm sorry for the mistake, but I am not sorry for attempting to help 14 million people who are starving."

Prosecutors, however, argued that Turner was a fraud who was after making money.

"To say he is a humanitarian is a sham," Assistant US Attorney Barry Jonas said according to The Chicago Tribune. "He's actually out for himself to make money."

During the trial Turner was exposed as a fraud who even wanted to cash-in on Zimbabwe’s diamonds.

Below are some of the stories published by The Insider during his trial.

Blom was ready to clean up Zimbabwe’s blood diamonds

Sanctions busting was just verbal masturbation

Mugabe sanctions buster jailed for 15 months

Blom tried to rope in Mbada Diamonds’ Robert Mhlanga but deal flopped

Obert Mpofu met Blom to discuss mining deal

Chicago sanctions busters were interested in Zimbabwe’s diamonds not just bailing out Mugabe

Mugabe’s failed sanctions busters were paid $90 000 in Botswana

Mugabe US sanctions buster convicted

Did US sanctions buster try to con Mugabe?

Mugabe lobbyist an opportunist